Sins of the Fathers
by Mariphasa Hecatene
Summary: In a possible universe, Hakkai's half-demon twins have only one real confidante.


**Sins of the Fathers** finished August 11, 2010

A strange little what-if. No sex or violence, perfectly worksafe. Sorry about the overused title: it's just such a perfect match.

Usual disclaimer: I do not own the Saiyukiverse or its characters-they belong to the wonderful Kazuya Minekura and her affiliates-I just spend an awful lot of time there. No profit made or infraction of copyright intended. First of my additions for Hakkai Month 2010.

* * *

'"Back before you were born, when your dad first told me he was getting married," Gojyo said, "I remember asking him, why was he doing this? Why would he put his own kids through what a halfblood goes through?"

"What did he say?" asked the red-haired girl.

They were sitting in the sun on the Cho family's neatly trimmed lawn, where they had just scrubbed an assortment of spray-painted remarks off Sakura's brand new red bicycle. The mildest had been just rude, the worst downright ugly.

"He said..." Gojyo sighed. "He said that it was time people stood up to all this hate and prejudice, and that the best way to do it was to raise all kids the same, human, youkai or hanyou. He said that no matter how people treated you, he'd make sure you always knew that he and your mom loved you and thought you were as good as anyone."

"And did you tell him that pretty much sucked?" She sounded just like her dad when she got that icy knife-edge in her voice.

"I did."- He had, too, and in just about that language.- " I said it was a nice idea, but I couldn't believe he thought it would work in the real world. Especially after everything we saw on the road."

Sakura sighed, picked up the oil can and got to her feet. She patted his shoulder as she passed.

"Thanks, Uncle G. At least you tried."

Gojyo sat and watched her as she applied oil to the freshly washed bike's working parts. Kura-chan was growing up to be gorgeous; this was probably the last year they'd be able to be as cozy buddies as they'd been since she was born. Fourteen now, she was still a leggy chestnut colt of a tomboy, but in just a year or two she'd be a willowy beauty with a pert little figure-slim, like both her mom and dad-legs a mile long, and even more dangerous, Hakkai's mouth and Hakkai's beautiful eyes. A knockout, for sure...

He shook his head. And the world would still treat her like a dog, and her chances of family and marriage were next to zero-like poor Kougyoku-and she was more likely than not to end up running off with her twin brother. _Which probably wouldn't bother Hakkai a bit,_ he thought bitterly.

"Have you talked to 'Karu?" she asked, without looking up from her work.

"Haven't seen him. Is he beat up?"

"Not as bad as they are." He had to grin at her tone of grim sisterly pride. "But I know he's pretty freaked out that he used ki. I mean, he didn't even know he could."

Even without talking to her brother, Gojyo had gotten most of the story from Hakkai and Sakura. Headed home from school, the twins had gone to pick up their bikes, discovered the vandalism, and been challenged by a couple of the punks responsible. There'd been words exchanged, then a scuffle, one guy had grabbed Sakura, and Hikaru -who, gods love him, was only four minutes older than his sister but took the role of big bro very seriously-had shocked the hell out of everyone involved by throwing the punk ten feet with a ki sphere to the chest. The twins hadn't stuck around to see what happened; they'd grabbed their bikes and gotten the hell out.

"It's not like I'm mad at him," Sakura was saying, "cos it stopped the fight like _fast_, but I just know it'll be all over school tomorrow morning. One more creepy demon thing the freaks did." She pumped the oil can vehemently.

He studied her a second, pitched his voice very soft and gentle. "That guy didn't hurt you, did he, princess?"

"No." She still wasn't looking up. "I mean-he said some shit. But he didn't have hold of me long."

"Want to tell me what he said?"

She was quiet so long that he was about to apologize, but she suddenly began to speak, low-pitched and fast. The beautiful eyes-cut garnet, not emerald, but so surely Hakkai's-were hard as steel.

"They call us 'mutt and bitch', so when we got to the bike rack one of them said 'oh, the mutt and bitch are here'. We tried to ignore them and just unlock the bikes, but Daichi, the big kid, he started hitting on me, saying my outfit was cute. And I started getting on my bike-and I was so mad-but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back, and he said he'd heard that youkai girls are horny all the time, so maybe half-youkai girls are horny half of the time. And I shoved him and said 'let me go', and 'Karu yelled at him, and he said-" she caught her breath-"he said I should relax and have fun, that I was lucky cos I could never get knocked up. And I said 'what?' and he said 'what, you don't know that a mutt can't have puppies?' and that's when 'Karu threw the bolt."

Gojyo gritted his teeth. _You little bastard, you. I hope big bro Hikaru fried your balls off. _

"I'm so sorry, baby."

"S'okay." She had set down the can, was looking down into the grass, red ponytails hiding her face.

"-Uncle Gojyo?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Is that true?" She tried hard to hold her voice steady, but it quavered. "Can I…I can't get pregnant? Ever?"

…no use lying about it. "Afraid so, baby. I'm sure Hakkai would've told you when you were a bit older."

"But _why_?"

It made him ache, how helpless they were against the unfairness of the universe. "Just biology, I guess. It's not only us; most halfbloods can't breed, even animals. If you-"

He'd been about to ask if she knew what a mule was, but was stopped by the shock on her face.

"Wait-you said _us_? Guys too?"

_Hell._ Now he was the one that couldn't look up. "Yeah. Far as anyone knows, all taboo kids are sterile."

And he could feel the two realizations hit her, like bullets, one right after the other.

"But-but that means _Hikaru_-and-"

She was up and headed toward him, with more pity and pain in her face than he'd ever have wanted her to understand. "Uncle Gojyo, I'm so _sorry-_-"

And the hell with growing up: he swore he'd always be this guy for her, the one who _got it_, the one she'd confided in and cried on since she was first placed in his arms.

_-I'd like you to be their godfather, Gojyo; they'll have so many questions I won't be able to answer. _

_-Yeah, you've got that right._

_

* * *

_"It's not fair. Hikaru would be a great father. _You'd_ be a great father." The storm of tears was over, but she didn't leave his side. "You know, when I was little and didn't understand, I thought maybe you were our real dad, cos neither of us looked like mom or dad but both of us looked like you." She leaned into his shoulder. "I thought that might be why you came over to visit all the time."

"I've always kinda liked thinking that myself." He stroked the long rose-red hair, shining copper-gold in the late sunlight. " I sure have more in common with you two than I would with my own kids. Don't even know what color they'd be."

Long pause. "And dad knew about this."

"He knew it."

Gojyo lit a cigarette and leaned back in the grass. He'd been over and over it in his head, and just could not understand why Hakkai had done it. Why a human wife, when he knew-better than almost anyone-what grief a hanyou's life brought? If he'd been so determined to have a family, why hadn't he found a youkai wife? Could he just not bear the thought of marrying a demon? Was he still trying to deny he was youkai? But if that was the case, why had he gone ahead and had kids; was anything on earth a clearer and more persistent reminder of youkai presence than a Taboo Child, let alone two identical Taboo Children? (Twins must run in 'Kai's family.) - -Did he really believe all that about fighting prejudice? And even if he did, using your own kids as guinea pigs in your social experiment was just...

...ah, hell. All Gojyo could do was be there for them, and here he was.

Sakura sat back and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I just...I'm so _mad_, but I know it's no use getting angry at dad. He always wins, no matter what."

"Always," agreed Gojyo wryly.

"As long as he's not mad at 'Karu for using ki, I guess we just...what, live with it? Hope we find taboo kids to marry?"

He waas relieved that her sense of humor had resurfaced, however sarcastically. "Good plan. I almost thought I had, once."

"No kidding, you met a woman like us?" She grinned. Was she pretty?"

"Gorgeous. Like you're gonna be."

"C'mon, _uncle_." Sakura rose and walked over to the bike. "Well, if she turned you down, she wasn't too smart. I hope I get as lucky as her."

"No, you don't." He stubbed out his cigarette in the grass and rose. "She hooked up with the wrong guy and died in the crossfire. Day after I met her I was burying her." He mussed Sakura's red hair as they started toward the house. "I want you to be luckier than her. A lot."

Very quietly, several yards later, as the first fireflies of the evening rose from the grass. "I still hope I find as nice a guy as you."

"Thanks, princess. But I know an easier way to change your luck." Gojyo leaned back and looked into the sky. He had his experience; he had survived; it was the one thing he had to give these kids, but it might save them too…

"So. Your dad teach you anything about playing cards?"


End file.
